Slice of Life
by carolinee458
Summary: A story about making decisions.// "Look, Forehead. Think of the situation as a big, yummy lemon pie. Don't be afraid to take a big slice of life!" In which Sakura agrees, Sasuke glares, and Naruto is confused. "Wait. What pie?"//SasuSaku
1. What pie?

"Slice of Life"

Hey everyone! Here's a story that I thought of last night. I hope you enjoy it! This is only the introductory chapter, so tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Just this plot.

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"Listen to me when I'm talking to you, Forehead," Ino shouted, turning Sakura's shoulders to face her. "This is probably the BIGGEST thing that has ever happened in your pathetic, boring life!"

"Well, geez, Pig, thanks for the support," Sakura drawled sarcastically. "And what do you mean by pathetic? And boring?"

Ino sighed. "Seriously, Sakura, do you ever do anything fun?"

"Of course I do!" Sakura retorted defiantly. "I, er…I, um…."

"Exactly, Forehead. You are such a bore, sometimes. I mean, I love you and all, and we're best friends, but you seriously need to loosen up. Besides, if my best friend is boring, that could completely ruin my reputation!"

"As what," Sakura snorted, "as a Pig? Or as an overbearing, nosy #$%* &*$%# #$%&…"

As Sakura and Ino continued to bicker, Naruto (who had been standing a few feet away, next to Sasuke, intensely watching the conversation) decided to step in.

"Uh, Sakura-chan, before you scar some poor kid for life with that surprisingly angry mouth of yours, maybe you should listen to Ino," Naruto interrupted sheepishly, placing his hands behind his head in his trademark innocent pose. He continued to smile through gritted teeth even as Sakura directed her piercing glare at him.

"Now, now, Sakura-chan, don't be mad. I'm just trying to help you see the truth. I mean, if you're not working at the hospital, you're on a mission. And if it's not a mission, then you're training. You barely have time to even hang out with the team anymore. You haven't even eaten at Ichiraku with us in weeks. Even the Teme has missed you!" As if to emphasize his point, Naruto pointed to Sasuke, who was casually leaning against the bridge railing, his hands in his pockets.

"Tch. Dobe," Sasuke said, saying something for the first time since they had been standing there. Naruto huffed up in anger in response.

"Bastard," Naruto rebutted.

"Dead last," Sasuke added.

"Arrogant jerk."

"Useless."

Sakura and Ino shook their heads in annoyance as they turned their attention away from the two fighting boys.

"I don't know, Ino," Sakura said, leaning over the bridge to look out into the water. The two boys stopped arguing momentarily to listen to what she had to say. "I mean, I've never actually been to a formal ball. We're ninja, not high-class citizens. I don't even know how to act at these type of things."

"Forehead!" Ino shouted again, clearly trying to persuade her best friend to agree. "The most eligible bachelor in the entire world has just asked you to the most exclusive formal ball in the entire world and you're having second thoughts?" Ino stared incredulously at the pinkette.

"I don't know, Ino…"

"Besides, Forehead, he told you he could bring a few of your friends. So if you don't accept, then none of us get to go. You wouldn't wish that on us, now would you?" Ino pleaded with innocent, sparkling eyes.

Naruto joined Ino enthusiastically. "Yeah, please Sakura-chan?"

No one seemed to notice how Sasuke stared at Sakura pensively, with some emotion akin to worry evident in his eyes.

"I don't know…"

"Look, Forehead. Think of the situation as a big, yummy lemon pie. Now the question is: do you want to eat a big piece of that pie? Come on, Sakura! Don't be afraid to take a big slice of life! Especially when it happens to involve a majorly good-looking and extremely wealthy bachelor!"

Sasuke scoffed and glared at the water flowing beneath them.

Sakura spared one longing glance at Sasuke. Pushing her emotions down, Sakura put on a smiling face. "I guess I could at least go for a little while. There's no harm in that, right?"

"Right!" Ino and Naruto chorused.

"Yeah," Sakura answered, feeling much more confident. "I will definitely take a big slice of life from now on. Hell yeah!" Sakura did her signature arm pump, and Ino and Naruto cheered. Sasuke continued to glare at the water.

"Woohoo!" Ino hollered, hugging her best friend. "Now, come on, Forehead. We need to go shopping so that we can impress that big hunk of lemon pie that seems to have taken such an interest in you. What was his name, again? Daichi?" Sasuke clenched his fist, but only Naruto seemed to notice.

Sakura blushed. "Yes, Ino-pig. And please, don't refer to Daichi-kun as a piece of pie. He's just a friend. I just happened to save his life, and he is grateful for that."

"Yeah, whatever you say, Sakura," Ino answered knowingly. The two girls gave a small wave to Sasuke and Naruto as they turned away from the bridge, Ino dragging Sakura forcibly. Naruto began to follow a scowling Sasuke in the opposite direction, fully planning on questioning the brooding male, until something clicked in Naruto's brain.

"Wait," Naruto asked, causing everyone to pause and stare at him curiously. "Everyone kept talking about pie. What pie? I still don't see any…"

"Dobe," Sasuke muttered as he walked off with his hands in his pockets.

The girls just rolled their eyes and walked off, leaving a very confused Naruto.

"Aw, man. How come everyone else gets pie?"

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Thanks for reading! I hoped you liked it. I know it's short, but that adds to the suspense, right? Please review! It encourages me to write. Peace ;)


	2. Pushing Buttons

Hey! I went ahead and wrote up the second chapter quickly because I was so excited to continue this story. Thanks so much for those who read this story so far, especially adeadlyrose and Midnight Angel Sakura for leaving such wonderful reviews! So, this chapter is dedicated especially to them! Enjoy! Peace ;)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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Chapter 2 – Pushing Buttons

Sasuke was angry. And annoyed.

He told himself that it was only because Sakura was going to waste time going to some stupid formal ball instead of using her time training.

He refused to believe that it was actually because he hated the fact that Sakura actually wanted to go. And that he might have been possibly, slightly, just a teensy bit jealous.

The poor training dummy he was using, already looking more like a pile of shredded fabric instead of a life-size target, suddenly burst into heated flames.

Okay, so maybe he was really jealous.

But this was Sakura. She had been spending all of her time training, working in the hospital, and occasionally going on missions. And now, just because she had saved the life of some pompous, pretty-boy jerk, said jerk suddenly thought that he could invite Sakura to prestigious parties and thus get closer to her.

It angered Sasuke that Sakura could be swayed so easily by someone she barely even knew. It angered him even more that he actually cared. And the only one who had noticed this was Naruto, who was currently rambling off about Sasuke's behavior while they trained.

"Woah, Teme," Naruto said, grinning wildly, "I didn't think you were THAT jealous. You didn't have to burn the poor training dummy to a crisp. Sakura-chan would probably think that jealousy is a nasty personality trait…"

"Shut-up, Dobe," Sasuke snarled before stalking off in the opposite direction angrily. Naruto's grin increased, knowing that he had successfully managed to push one of Sasuke's buttons. And this button just happened to be labeled "Sakura."

"So, the angry mood you're in right now has nothing to do with the fact that Sakura was invited to that fancy ball, and that she's going there to be with 'Daichi-kun?'…" Naruto drawled innocently, emphasizing Sakura's friendly relationship with said man. Sasuke growled.

"And I guess it has nothing to do with the fact that she's going to probably be wearing some beautiful outfit and will be attracting the attention of a lot of men – more specifically Bushy Brow and dear Daichi-kun," Naruto said, batting his eyelashes playfully. Sasuke growled louder this time.

"Or the fact that during the entire conversation on the bridge, you kept getting angrier and angrier the more that Sakura agreed to going to the ball. I mean, it must have just been my imagination when I saw you clench your fist, and felt your chakra radiate around you in dark, menacing waves when Sakura blushed at the mere mention of Daichi's name…"

"Shut the hell up, Naruto," Sasuke said, whirling around to intimidate Naruto with his eyes. Sharingan spinned wildly in anger and Naruto laughed sheepishly.

"Okay, okay, Teme, touchy subject – I get it," Naruto said, backing off and following Sasuke, who had resumed walking with his hands stuffed angrily in his pockets. "What I don't get," Naruto added seriously, "Is why you just don't tell Sakura how you feel. It is blatantly obvious that you care about her. Well, maybe obvious to everyone except for her."

Sasuke scowled. "When did you start using, much less understanding, big words, Dobe? Menacing? Blatantly?"

Naruto laughed. "For your information, Sasuke, Sakura-chan has been helping me. She says that if I really want to become Hokage, I should start learning how to talk properly. I couldn't argue with her there. Not that I would want to." And then something else seemed to click in Naruto's brain. "Hey! You didn't deny it!"

"Deny what?" Sasuke asked, clearly irritated.

"The fact that you have feelings for Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled at the top of his lungs, pointing his finger at Sasuke in a childlike manner.

"Tch," Sasuke said, turning around to walk away.

"You did it again! I was right! You do like Sakura-chan!" Naruto screamed, doing a little dance. "Sasuke and Sakura, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-, um…, i-n-g! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the mmph…"

In a blink of an eye, Sasuke had moved in front of Naruto and covered the mouth of the extremely loud blond with his hand. Sasuke's dark, serious eyes locked with Naruto's.

"SHUT THE HELL UP," Sasuke seethed, glaring at Naruto scarily. Naruto shook his head in defeated submission, and Sasuke turned to walk away. But just as Sasuke and Naruto turned the corner, a blushing Sakura came into view.

At first, Sasuke was a tiny bit worried that she had heard what Naruto had said, even if he didn't let it show on his face. However, all inner panic was erased when Sasuke realized that Sakura was not blushing because of him. Standing next to Sakura was a beaming Ino, and on the other side stood a grinning male with pale blond hair and dark brown eyes. His hand held Sakura's gently, and Sakura blushed more as he bent down to give Sakura's hand a gentle kiss.

"Thank you, Daichi-kun, for inviting me to your ball. I really am honored," Sakura said politely, bowing her head in thanks. Diachi carefully lifted her chin up, and Sakura shyly gazed into his confident ones.

"No, Sakura, I want to thank you for accepting my invitation. My Ball just wouldn't be the same without having someone as beautiful and kind as you in attendance. Your presence will certainly make it a special night for me," Daichi said as he released her chin, straightening himself.

Sasuke growled, and Daichi looked over to him, not backing down from Sasuke's glare.

"Until the next time, Sakura," Daichi added pleasantly, smirking at Sasuke as he walked by. Sakura and Ino sighed dreamily, and Naruto rolled his eyes.

"Seriously," Naruto said in disgust after Daichi had left, "could that guy be any more fake?"

And for the first time, Sasuke smirked in agreement with his loud best friend. Ino and Sakura turned angrily to them.

"Naruto," Sakura scolded, "Daichi-kun is not fake. He is extremely sweet and romantic. Unlike the two of you," she added smugly.

"Not to mention totally drop-dead gorgeous!" Ino squealed, clasping her hands together in excitement. "And rich!" Sakura rolled her eyes at her best friend's antics.

"I wish he'd drop dead," Sasuke muttered under his breath, causing the other three to look at him – one in amused contemplation, one in uncontrollable laughter, and one in anger.

"Sasuke!" Sakura chided, placing both hands on her hips. Sasuke wondered why he was so affected when he noticed that she didn't use the suffix he had grown so used to when they were younger. "How on earth could you say that about Daichi-kun? You don't even know him."

"Neither do you," Sasuke retorted. He hadn't even meant for it to come out. But it had. And now an angry Sakura stood before him. Mentally, Sasuke scolded himself. He wasn't supposed to show emotion; he wasn't supposed to show weakness. Yet, whenever it came to Sakura, he became vulnerable.

Sakura scoffed. "And just what is that supposed to mean?"

"Tch. Never mind. I'm out of here," Sasuke said, walking off angrily. Sakura clenched her fist before stomping off in the opposite direction, muttering things like 'stupid jerk' and 'unemotional bastard.'

Naruto and Ino both sighed.

"You know, Ino, I have a feeling this whole situation isn't going to turn out well," Naruto confessed. Ino shook her head in agreement, and then let her eyes linger between the two angry teens for a few minutes before a sly smile graced her face.

Flipping her long blond hair over her shoulder, Ino turned to Naruto. "Naruto, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Naruto thought for a moment. "You mean you think that it is way past lunch time and ramen sounds great right now?" Ino whacked Naruto on the back of the head, earning her a sour glare from the boy.

"No, you baka. I mean about getting Sasuke and Sakura to realize their feelings for each other," Ino corrected.

"Oh, yeah, that," Naruto said, still rubbing his head. "I was going to say that, but you know, I didn't want to scare you with my amazing psychic ninja powers." Ino rolled her eyes and laughed.

"But what about Daichi, hm?" Naruto asked in a slightly confused voice. "You're obviously overjoyed that he has taken such an interest in Sakura-chan. So why now do you suddenly want to get Teme and Sakura-chan together?"

"Well," Ino started, placing a hand on her hip and another on Naruto's shoulder, "It's true that years ago Sakura and I competed for Sasuke. But then he went through that whole must-kill-Itachi-thing, and then the whole destroy-Konoha-thing, and after he was finally back, things had changed. Personally, he kind of scared me. He still scares me." Ino shuddered.

"Anyway. Sakura is my best friend, and I want her to be truly happy. And at first, I tried to help her ignore Sasuke so that she could move on. But it is clear that she hasn't been able to, and I can definitely see that Sasuke sees something more in her than just a teammate. So now, I have an advantage to the situation."

"What is that?" Naruto asked.

"Daichi," Ino said, smiling mischievously. "You see, it is extremely obvious that Daichi has a thing for Sakura. And Sakura practically faints every time she sees him. I mean, who wouldn't? Anyway, we can use Daichi's advances to make Sasuke jealous."

Realization came over Naruto's face. "Oh! I get it! And if Sasuke gets really jealous, then he'll want to keep Daichi and Sakura away from each other. Which will result in him spending more time with Sakura, and then he'll be able to realize how much he cares for her!"

"Yes! We, my friend, are brilliant," Ino beamed as the two obnoxious blondes went off to work on their plan. Naruto cheered in agreement.

"Say, Ino?"

"Yeah, Naruto?"

"We can go get ramen, now, right? I mean, you guys got pie earlier, and I didn't even get any."

"Gee, Naruto. You are so hopeless," Ino muttered, leaving a confused and crestfallen Naruto in the streets.

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So I hoped you all liked it! Please review, and tell me what you thought! I'm really enjoying writing Naruto's parts right now. If you haven't noticed.

Anyway. Review, please?

Peace ;)


	3. Using Codenames

Hey everyone! Finally: another update for this story. I'm not doing too badly on updates, though, I must say. If you like this story, then you should definitely check out my other one: An Arranged Disaster. I try to update both once a week.

Also, I'd like to thank everyone who has read, reviewed, and favorited! You are all so awesome!

Well, I hope you like this chapter. It's sort of a filler, but still very important, and as always, funny. Enjoy!

Peace ;)

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Chapter 3 – Using Codenames

"I don't know, Ino," Sakura stated, examining the current kimono she had on in the full-length mirror. "I'm not sure this really fits my style."

Ino sighed. "Forehead, dear, you look amazing. And besides, what style? Last time I checked, your version of style was a pink skirt paired with a red shirt and ninja shorts."

Sakura snorted. "Hey, pig, I choose function over fashion. And what is wrong with my style?

Ino laughed a little too innocently. "Oh, I mean, nothing is wrong with it. I just _love_ your unique style, Forehead. I just wish you'd maybe change it up a bit from time to time…"

Sakura frowned at her best friend, but chose not to fight the situation anymore. She glanced back at her reflection, tilting her head to the side as she studied it. The kimono Ino had chosen was very pretty, but it was a pale blue color, and clashed slightly with her pink hair and green eyes. Besides, it hung much too low for her taste.

Walking to another section of the store, Sakura pulled out a kimono such a dark pink that it was almost red. It had light pink sakura-petals decorating the bottom, and a pretty pink tie. Sakura smiled before rushing back into the dressing room.

When Sakura walked out, donning the pink kimono, Ino gasped in joy. "Oh, forehead, that is definitely the perfect kimono for you!"

"You said that about the last three, Ino-pig," Sakura deadpanned.

"No, no, Sakura! I really mean it!" Ino cried, pushing Sakura in front of the mirror. "The colors are perfect with your hair, it shows enough skin without revealing too much, and it totally fits your style!"

"Well," Sakura said, wincing as she examined the price tag, "It doesn't quite fit my budget."

"Forehead! Sometimes you have to spend a little extra to look amazing." Ino looked at the price tag herself, whistling slightly. "Or a lot…well, anyway, I'll even chip in for it!"

"I'm not sure, Ino…." Sakura bit her lip thoughtfully.

"And Daichi-kun will surely be totally speechless!"

That seemed to break the deal for Sakura, and with a blush and a smile, Sakura agreed. Ino cheered, and Sakura paid for the dress.

After shopping, Ino insisted that they go eat lunch at Ichiraku's. Sakura agreed grudgingly, after Ino guilt-tripped her, saying that they never get to spend time together. As they pulled back the curtains to the infamous ramen shop, Sakura caught sight of two familiar heads: one blond and one black-haired. Sakura and Ino stood behind them, simply observing the two males in front of them.

"And I promise, Teme, as soon as I become hokage, I will make sure that ramen is instituted as the national dish," Naruto said proudly, all the while gorging down a bowl of steaming ramen. Sasuke just sipped his own ramed indifferently.

"Dobe."

"What was that, Teme?" Naruto exclaimed loudly, talking much too close to Sasuke's ear for the brooding male's comfort.

"Dobe," Sasuke repeated blankly, slamming Naruto's head into his bowl of ramen. Naruto came up angry and sputtering. It was then that Ino and Sakura walked up, Ino taking a seat next to Naruto and Sakura sitting on the end.

"Now, now, boys," Ino chided playfully, "play nice." Sakura giggled and handed Naruto a handful of napkins.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan," Naruto said, sopping up the ramen on his face and in his hair. "At least now I know who my _real_ best friend is." Sakura chuckled again before ordering a bowl of ramen for herself and for Ino, not noticing the studying eyes of Sasuke focused on her. Naruto and Ino leaned their heads together.

"Is phase one of the mission complete, Purple Pig?" Naruto whispered, shifting his eyes suspiciously from side to side. Ino scowled at the codename before whacking Naruto on the back of the head.

"Yes, you idiot," Ino whispered back. "Phase one, otherwise known as 'get Sakura the perfect outfit,' is complete. Are you ready to begin phase two, or 'convince Sasuke to attend the ball'?"

"I was born ready," Naruto beamed. "Ino," he added, "you're supposed to call me by my codename: Orange Fox."

Ino rolled her eyes before smashing Naruto's head into his ramen bowl for a second time.

Sakura and Sasuke glanced suspiciously at Ino and Naruto before returning to their lunch, and Sakura handed Naruto another wad of napkins.

"So, Sasuke," Ino began, "have you found what you're going to wear to the ball yet?"

"No," Sasuke replied coldly. Naruto coughed, urging Ino to continue.

"Oh, I see. Well, Sakura and I just got back from purchasing new kimonos! And I have to say, we look so gorgeous in them, I mean, you should really see me. My kimono is so chic – I just can't wait to wear it! It's this light purple color, and it's got silver embroidery, and I'm going to look so pretty…"

Naruto elbowed Ino inconspicuously, ending her ramble about herself.

"Anyway, that's enough about me," Ino purred. "But you should have seen Sakura! She looked so pretty. There was even this sales clerk that I caught gawking at Sakura's hotness."

Sakura nearly choked on her ramen. "I don't remember that happening, Ino!"

Ino waved her hand dismissively. "You, my dear, simply weren't paying attention. But I saw him. His eyes were all over you! You really should be more careful, Sakura."

"But, Ino," Sakura started, only to be interrupted by more of Ino's rambling.

"However, I still can't figure out why that guy was only looking at _you. _I mean, sure darling, you looked hot, but I mean, he didn't even notice me. Not once! I checked. How could he not notice me in my glorious beauty…"

"Shut-up, Ino," Naruto interrupted. "Nobody wants to hear you talk about yourself."

"I am simply stating the obvious fact, you moron!" Ino shouted back, leading the two blondes in a loud, verbal fight. Sakura sighed before turning her attention to Sasuke.

"So, Sasuke, you really haven't found something to wear to Daichi-kun's celebration ball yet?" she asked sweetly.

"No," Sasuke replied again.

"Oh," Sakura said. "Why not?"

"I'm not going," Sasuke replied a little too harshly. Sakura winced at the bitterness in his voice, and tried to push down how much it bothered her.

"You're not?"

"Ah."

"Oh, I see." Sakura tried to mask the sadness in her voice. "Um, how come you aren't coming, Sasuke? Didn't Daichi-kun invite you?"

"He did. I'm just not going."

Ino and Naruto, who were still bickering, suddenly turned to Sasuke and Sakura. Naruto put his arm around Sasuke's shoulders.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan, of course the Teme is coming," Naruto laughed. "I wouldn't let my best friend miss the party of the year!"

Sasuke growled, shaking Naruto's arm off of him. "Don't touch me, dobe," he said as he stood up, leaving them all in the ramen shop. Naruto grumbled as he laid some money on the counter, now having to pay the bill himself, and then ran after his brooding best friend. Ino couldn't ignore the way Sakura's eyes saddened when Sasuke left.

In the crowded street, Naruto dodged people with grocery bags and old ladies with brooms as he chased after the raven-haired man. Sasuke simply ignored the pleas coming from behind him.

"Come on, Sasuke, you can't just not go!" Naruto whined. "You have to go!"

Sasuke whirled around to face Naruto. "Just why, tell me, is it so important that I go?"

"Um, you see, you have to go!" Naruto sputtered. "If you don't go, then I can't go! I didn't get an invitation, just because I'm not from some rich clan."

"I don't care," Sasuke stated.

Naruto jumped up and down childishly. "But I really want to go, Sasuke-teme!"

"Get Sakura to get you in."

"But Sakura's already bringing Ino and Sai," Naruto complained, really laying it on thick. "You can only bring two guests! Everyone else already has a spot."

"So when the Hyuga girl asked you, you said no?" Sasuke asked slyly. And Naruto, too dumb to realize that Sasuke had just uncovered his plan, answered Sasuke honestly.

"Of course I didn't say no! I couldn't say no to Hinata-chan!" Naruto defended, but as soon as he said it, he clamped a hand over his mouth. Sasuke smirked.

"So you lied. Hinata invited you to go with her," Sasuke stated.

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. "How'd you know that?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I overheard Sakura and Tenten talking about it." Naruto made a mental note to later get them back for letting Sasuke overhear that.

"Okay, fine, you caught me," Naruto admitted, defeated. "But you still have to go!"

"Why? Tell me the real reason why it's so important for me to go, _now_," Sasuke threatened, adding emphasis to the word now. Naruto gulped.

"Well, um, you see," Naruto said, trying to come up with a quick lie. "I needed…um….emotional support?"

Sasuke growled, grabbing the front of Naruto's shirt, and Naruto placed his hands in front in defeat.

"Okay, okay, fine. You want to know the real reason?"

Sasuke didn't answer, but Naruto knew that he wanted to know.

"You can't let Sakura go without you there," Naruto said seriously.

Sasuke turned away from Naruto. "What does Sakura have to do with me?"

Naruto groaned. "Everything, Teme! Can't you see that she was so heartbroken when she found out you weren't going?"

Sasuke scoffed. "Yeah, right. She's too concerned with what her precious Daichi-kun thinks."

"Sasuke…," Naruto started, but was cut off by Sasuke's cold voice.

"What Sakura chooses to do with her life and who she chooses to spend her time with is no concern of mine," Sasuke interrupted.

"Like hell it's not!" Naruto answered, enraged. "She's your teammate, your friend! You're supposed to look out for her no matter what! Isn't she important to you?"

Sasuke snarled, turning to face Naruto with his Sharingan spinning. "And just exactly do you want me to do about it? She doesn't care about me that way anymore, Naruto."

Naruto sighed. "At least go. Even if there isn't anything between the two of you, you're still her friend. So am I. Friends don't leave each other behind, remember Sasuke? We have to protect her."

"She says she doesn't need protecting anymore," Sasuke countered.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Sure, maybe from ninja with kunai, but with a room full of single men? You know she needs protecting there, especially from that Daichi fellow. I don't trust him anymore than you do."

Sasuke sighed, and Naruto grinned. Naruto knew he was cracking him.

"You need to be there for her – if nothing more than to keep an eye on your teammate."

Sasuke seemed to think it over.

"I'll even treat you to ramen for a week! Come on, Sasuke. Do it for Sakura?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, but nodded his head. "I hope you saved up enough money, though. With all this training, I've been hungry a lot lately."

Naruto laughed, glad to see that his unemotional best friend had not only agreed, but had also tried to make a joke. They walked side by side down the street, Naruto grinning from ear to ear and his hands behind his head. But then, his expression turned thoughtful.

"You know, Sasuke, I was thinking," Naruto started.

Sasuke smirked. "Really? That's amazing. I didn't think you could."

"Shut-up, Teme." Naruto spat. Then he added seriously, "This is important. I was thinking about the conversation on the bridge the other day, with Ino and Sakura."

"What about it?"

There was a short pause as Sasuke and Naruto stared at each other, and the wind whistled through the air dramatically.

"I'm beginning to think there was no pie."

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So, how was it? Not too bad, I hope! And I know, the pie thing may be getting a little old, but to me it's always funny. I don't think I'll be able to use it much more, though. You'll just have to keep reading. So please review, and it may encourage me to get the next chapter out sooner than a week!!!

Peace ;)


	4. Picky Patient

Hey everyone! Well, here's the next chapter! Thank you so much to everyone who is reading, reviewing, and all that other good stuff. Love ya'll!!

Peace ;)

Chapter 4 – Picky Patient

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Sighing tiredly, a very groggy-looking Sakura stretched the muscles of her neck and leaned back in her office chair. Luckily, there were no dark circles under her eyelids yet, but Sakura knew that if she kept going on such a busy schedule that they would soon appear. She had been called shortly after midnight into Konoha Hospital for an emergency surgery, and since then she had not stopped working. It was now close to three in the afternoon.

Moving the stretches to her arms, Sakura looked around her crowded office. When she had first gotten the office, Sakura had been more than overjoyed. Almost immediately, Sakura had lined the walls with shelves of books and had placed pictures all over the room. Some of her favorite ones included the old Team Seven picture and one of her and Ino as children, as well as one of her and Tsunade.

But her very favorite picture sat in a frame right on her desk. It had been taken several weeks back, and she had immediately placed it in her best wooden picture frame. Sakura smiled every time she thought back to the memory right before the picture had been taken.

It was late in the afternoon in Konoha, and it was one of those rare days when everything just seemed to fall into place. The sky was a crystal blue patched with white clouds, and the smell of fresh flowers filled the air. Naruto and Sasuke had been talking as they walked over some of Konoha's green hills, or rather, Naruto had been talking and Sasuke had been trying his best to ignore the boy. They had come across Sai, who had been sitting underneath a blooming sakura tree teaching Sakura how to draw the landscape.

Sai had unintentionally insulted Naruto once again, which had caused Naruto to lunge at Sai. However, Sai simply moved aside, and Naruto had landed flat on his face. Sasuke called Naruto a moron, which only made Naruto even angrier than before. And Sasuke, who was looking away smugly, did not notice when Naruto reached for his leg. Sakura tried to hold back her laughter as she watched Sasuke fall to the ground, quite ungracefully as well, as Naruto wrenched Sasuke's firm footing out from under him.

Eventually, though, Sakura couldn't hold it in any longer, and she burst out laughing. Sasuke smirked a little warmer than usual, explaining later that he had only smirked because Naruto really was a moron for pulling a trick like that. Sai was smiling genuinely as he observed the other three, and Naruto's eyes glimmered with real happiness. And that was exactly when the photographer had taken the picture. He had captured a rare precious moment in their lives, and although it was completely random for him to walk by at that moment, Sakura was glad he had.

Looking away from the picture, Sakura examined the current state of her office. Her couch was covered in medical books, and stacks of paperwork filled every corner. Sighing again as she looked at a stack of unfinished medical reports, Sakura realized that she desperately needed a break. Grabbing her white medic coat from her chair before shutting the door, Sakura headed away from her office and down the halls of the hospital for a short walk.

The white hallway was unusually bustling with activity, and Sakura felt obliged to give a nod of greeting or a warm "good afternoon" to many of the people she passed. Yet no one would have guessed that the cheerful, pink-haired medic had a lot on her mind.

Sakura found herself thinking mostly about the upcoming celebration ball for Daichi, and about Sasuke. She knew that Daichi definitely had taken an interest in her, but for some reason whenever she thought about him, Sasuke's face would suddenly appear in Daichi's place. Sometimes Sakura hated the way that she couldn't shake Sasuke from her mind.

And she knew she needed to. Ino was right – Sakura desperately needed to move on. It was unhealthy for her to get her hopes up on someone that would never come through.

Daichi, however, might just be the savior she needed. Sakura needed to move on, and maybe fate was telling her that Daichi was a possibility. Sakura had to admit to herself that she did have a crush on him. Other than Sasuke, Daichi was probably the most idolized man in the village. Maybe even more than Sasuke.

After all, Daichi was rich, and he was good looking. He was always charming, and Sakura loved the way he laughed. Laughing was something that Sasuke just did not do. And Daichi was open and caring, something that Sasuke had never been able to easily express. But even with all of Daichi's good qualities, Sakura could not help but feel that something was missing.

Shaking her head out of deep thoughts, Sakura realized that she had been doing it again. In thinking about Daichi, she had instantly started comparing him to Sasuke. She couldn't help but wonder if fate was playing tricks on her mind.

Realizing that she had stepped out into the hospital courtyard, Sakura stopped to watch the fish swimming in the pond. Sakura took a deep breath, and setting her resolve, she decided to give Daichi a fair chance at mending her broken heart.

As she passed by the break room on her way back to the office, Sakura was enveloped in the warm aroma of freshly made coffee. Sakura grinned, deciding that a bit longer of a break wouldn't hurt, and she turned into the room. After pouring herself a steaming cup of coffee, she sipped it gently, shutting her eyes and relishing a moment of peace and quiet. It was cut short, however, when a petite girl with cropped brown hair entered the break room.

"Haruno-sama?" the young girl asked. Sakura opened her eyes, acknowledging the girl standing before her. Sakura recognized the girl immediately: she had taken over Sakura's shift that day because of shortage of medics. The girl was a very new medic, and still had to go through more training, but Sakura had felt that the girl was competent enough to handle physical examinations.

"What is it, Tora? Have you finished all of the examinations already?" Sakura asked, taking another sip of her coffee.

"Actually, that is what I needed to talk to you about," Tora began. "You see, I was almost finished, on my last patient in fact, when I encountered a problem with the patient."

Sakura knitted her brows. "What kind of problem?"

Tora seemed embarrassed to answer. "Well, you see, Haruno-sama, the patient refused to let me conduct the examination."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked, motioning for Tora to sit down next to her. Tora looked down before continuing.

"The patient said that I was not experienced enough to be conducting his examination," Tora answered meekly.

Sakura put her coffee down. "Did you inform the patient that you are highly trained as a medic, and were perfectly capable of performing the examination without any problems?"

"Of course, Haruno-sama, but the patient still refused to listen to me. So I told him I would be right back, and I asked Kenri-san to conduct the examination instead," Tora told Sakura. Sakura nodded, briefly recalling Kenri to be a tall girl with long auburn hair.

"Well," Tora continued, "Kenri agreed to treat the patient, but a few minutes later, she came out as well, complaining that the patient had been rude to her. He also refused to let her perform the examination."

"So the patient still hasn't been examined?" Sakura asked, earning a meek nod from Tora.

"That's correct, Haruno-sama. I offered to find another medic on staff, but he refused. He started asking for you, and I must say – he is very insistent."

Sakura nodded grudgingly. Just when she thought she was going to get a break, this had to happen.

"Very well," Sakura sighed, pushing her unfinished coffee away. "What room number is the patient in?"

"206, Haruno-sama," Tora replied. Sakura smiled before heading up to the room.

Walking up to the door, Sakura pulled the patient's medical clipboard from the slot in the door and read the name. Sakura rolled her eyes, figuring she might have known, and opened the door.

Sasuke was standing by the window, looking out, and he didn't even bother to look over at Sakura when she entered the room. Sakura knew he had recognized her chakra signature even before she had opened the door.

"Really, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, tossing the clipboard onto the only counter in the room. "Did you have to ruin my break just because you were being picky about your nurse?"

Sasuke grunted, still not breaking his gaze from the window. Sakura rolled her eyes and put one hand on her hip.

"Well, let's just get this over with. Come sit down, please," Sakura chided, taking her own seat across from the examination table. Sasuke walked slowly over to the examination table and sat down, now keeping his gaze fixed on Sakura. She tried not to notice as she began checking his vitals.

"Are you going to tell me," Sakura asked, "exactly _why_ you turned down two of the best medics in the hospital?" Then she grinned playfully. "Or am I going to have to beat it out of you?"

Sasuke did not seem to be affected by the joke, but answered her nonetheless. "They weren't good enough."

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Tora may be a fairly new medic, but she's talented and probably has more patience then any of us. She was perfectly capable of handling this examination."

"She was too shy," Sasuke responded calmly.

"Whatever," Sakura shrugged. "I'll have to explain to her later that you were just being a jerk, and she shouldn't blame your bluntness on herself. Even if you really should be the one to apologize."

"I am not apologizing," Sasuke stated coldly.

"Yeah, I know," Sakura answered. Sasuke could see the disappointment in her face and the sadness in her voice. "And Tora mentioned that you were rude to Kenri. Care to explain that?"

"Not really," Sasuke deadpanned. "But if you really want to know, she was a brainless fangirl, and she shouldn't be allowed to work in a hospital if she's going to make a move on patients."

Then Sakura did something that Sasuke did not expect: she laughed. "I should have known," Sakura chuckled. "She really tried to flirt with you?"

Sasuke didn't see anything funny about the situation, and only gave Sakura a glare in return.

"I'm sorry," Sakura said, still laughing, "I just think its funny. Well, anyway, next time, please don't give my staff so much trouble. I would really rather not have to come during my only break to take care of _you_," Sakura joked, but then her face turned thoughtful. "How'd you know I was working today, anyway?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I saw you walking out in the courtyard."

Sakura nodded, thinking about what Sasuke had said. She had spent a good while just staring off into space in the courtyard. Had Sasuke noticed that she was troubled?

"What were you thinking about out there?"

Sakura blinked, having to register that Sasuke had not only noticed, but might actually be concerned with how she was feeling. But then again, maybe he was just trying to make conversation.

"Oh, um, nothing important," Sakura answered, smiling widely. Sasuke, however, could tell that it was a fake smile, and that she wasn't telling him the truth. There were a few moments of silence as Sakura continued the examination, checking his eyes and ears and heart rate. Sasuke briefly wondered why she seemed so calm around him, and why he seemed to never be calm when he was around her.

"Your heart rate is a little fast, Sasuke," Sakura said in her worried tone. "Are you feeling okay?"

Her comment only made him seem more flustered, and he turned away quickly so to hide his emotions. "I'm fine."

Sakura nodded hesitantly before having him turn so she could heal an injury on his back.

"Sasuke," Sakura scolded, and Sasuke once again felt the odd sensation of disappointment when she didn't use the suffix at the end of his name, "How many times have I told you to come to me right away when you get an injury? You're lucky you had an annual examination scheduled for today, because this cut might have gotten infected if it had been treated any later. You really need to be more careful."

Sasuke grunted, causing Sakura to chuckle. Sasuke smirked when he heard her ringing laughter – it reminded him of their younger days. His face returned to an emotional façade when she turned to face him.

A comfortable silence had fallen over the two, and Sakura started to gently hum while she finished up Sasuke's medical report. And Sasuke found himself unusually content with just being near Sakura's cheerful nature.

That was, however, until there was a light tap at the door, and the medic Sasuke had learned was named Tora timidly opened the door.

"Excuse me, Haruno-sama," Tora said, stepping into the room. Naruto left a message for you: something about wanting an explanation about why you lied about some sort of pie…" Sakura rolled her eyes, and Tora continued. "Also, there's someone here to see you." Sakura cocked her head to the side.

"Really? Who is it?" Sakura asked, curious.

"I believe he said his name was Daichi," Tora answered. Sakura's eyes widened, and Sasuke scowled. He knew that he needed to keep Sakura away from Daichi, and he had to think of a way to do it fast. Barely believing the words that came out of his mouth, Sasuke blurted out the first thing he thought of that would cause Sakura to regard him in a different light.

"I'm sorry," came Sasuke's cold voice, and the two women in the room simply stared at him with mouths agape.

Sakura shook her head. "Wait, what?"

"I said I'm sorry. For, you know, doubting your medical skills," Sasuke mumbled.

Sakura just stood there dumbly. She was shocked. Sasuke Uchiha was apologizing, and to someone he barely even knew. Tora seemed equally shocked, but she quickly put an appreciative smile on her face.

"Thank you, Uchiha-san," Tora said, smiling genuinely. Then she turned to Sakura. "What would you like me to tell your visitor?"

"Oh, um," Sakura responded, still a little unsure if it was really Sasuke who had just apologized, "Would you mind telling him that I won't be off of work for another two hours?"

"Of course, Haruno-sama," Tori replied before bowing slightly and closing the door on her way out. There was a moment of silence before Sakura spoke, her voice very serious.

"Thank you, Sasuke," she said, looking straight at him. Embarrassed, Sasuke turned away.

"Why are you thanking me?" he asked, pretending not to care.

"Because you did something I didn't think you would ever do," Sakura answered, smiling. "Maybe there's hope for you after all, neh?"

Sasuke scoffed and looked away, but couldn't help but smirk. "I am not apologizing to that other girl, though."

Sakura laughed wholeheartedly, washing her hands after having finished the examination.

"You can go now, Sasuke," Sakura said, gathering her things.

"I found something to wear," Sasuke said quickly, causing Sakura to cast him a curious look.

"What?"

"To that stupid celebration ball. Naruto's dragging me along," Sasuke said, trying to act uninterested.

Sakura's face lit up. "You mean you're coming after all?"

"Hn."

Sakura smiled cheerfully, feeling the happiest she had felt all day. "Really? That's great! I'm so glad you're going!" And then, feeling that she was getting too excited, added calmly, "I mean, er, I'm happy that all of my friends are going to be there now."

Sasuke nodded as Sakura waved goodbye, but before she could go out the door, Sasuke spoke up once agaib.

"Why didn't you go to meet Daichi?" Sasuke asked, not even bothering to hide the resentment in his voice he felt towards the man. Sakura studied Sasuke's face a moment before answering.

"I'm at work," she answered casually. "Whatever he needed to see me about, I'm sure can wait until later on." Sasuke thought that this would be the only explanation she gave, but she surprised him.

"And besides, I was with my _favorite_ patient," she joked. "Anyway, looks like I'm going to have to stop by the bakery and pick Naruto up a lemon pie. The boy is completely hopeless."

Sasuke smirked, and just as Sakura was closing the door, he said softly, "Thank you, Sakura."

And that was when Sakura figured out the one thing that seemed to be missing with Daichi: he simply wasn't Sasuke.

* * *

So, how'd you like it? I know, not as much humor, but it's important. And Naruto and Ino weren't in this chapter, so when they come back so should the major laughs. Still, aren't Sasuke and Sakura just the cutest? Lol. Even if the latest manga chapters are really starting to worry me…

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Review please!!!

Peace ;)


	5. Painted Toenails

**Hey everyone!! Well, this took forever, and it's rather short, but at least it's progress! I hope ya'll like it. I promise to post more really soon.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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Chapter 5 - Painted Toenails

Sakura was currently rushing around her house as fast as her freshly-polished toenails could carry her. Which, as you can imagine, was not very fast, considering that she had to walk on her heels and with her toes slightly spread apart just to keep from smudging the pink nail polish.

The night of Daichi's Ball had finally arrived, and all of Konoha was abuzz. It was not everyday that such a celebration was held. Konoha's main square had been decorated in festive colors and endless streamers, and the first of hundreds of strands of bright paper lanterns were beginning to glow. Daichi had rented out a large building with a grand ballroom to hold the main event. Obviously, the young bachelor could probably buy all of Konoha in the blink of an eye.

Sakura could hear all the commotion from her apartment, and she knew that she was probably going to run a little late. People were already starting to gather in the main square, and here was Sakura running around with only her nails done.

Luckily, or rather, unluckily, depending on which point of view you would sympathize with, there was a loud knock on Sakura's door. Sakura, who was in the middle of brushing her teeth, letting her nails dry, and combing her hair all at once, grumbled in an annoyed manner as the knocking got louder and more incessant.

Swinging open the door rather violently upon recognizing the energetic chakra signature, Sakura muttered through the swishing of toothpaste, "What do you want Pig?"

Ino cringed. "What the hell happened to you, Forehead?" Upon receiving a deadly glare from the hobbling, toothpaste-swishing, comb-stuck-in-bubblegum-pink-hair girl, Ino gulped and quickly changed her attitude.

"I mean, wow, Forehead, um, that's a great look for you, with the froth, and the slightly tousled hair, and the shiny pink nail polish. Must be the new you, am I right?" Ino laughed sheepishly. Sakura only glared more.

"Shu'up, Pig. I'm ad at ou wight dow," Sakura retorted, closing her apartment door tightly. Ino giggled, and Sakura rolled her eyes and spit the toothpaste into the sink.

"What was that, Sakura? I didn't quite catch it through the froth."

"I said: shut up Pig. I'm mad at you right now!" Sakura emphasized, placing an angry hand on her hip. Ino brought a perfectly manicured hand up to her chest, feigning hurt.

"What could I possibly have done, Forehead? I'm completely innocent," Ino added coyly. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Innocent my ass," Sakura continued. "Because of you, I was guilted into going to this ball, and buying that gorgeous kimono, and now I have to make one of the biggest decisions of my life!"

Ino grinned, knowing she had Sakura exactly where she wanted her. "What decision would that be?"

Sakura glared as she detangled a knot in her hair. "The decision of having to choose between Daichi and Sasuke. You know that."

Ino nodded, placing a hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Look, Sakura, honey, I know exactly what you're going through. You know I'm here for you."

Sakura sighed. "It's just, I know I shouldn't still be chasing after Sasuke, but I can't help feeling the way I do about him. I can't explain it." Ino grinned as Sakura continued. "And then, whenever Daichi looks at me, I go all weak-kneed and completely lose coherent thought. I never thought that would happen with anyone other than Sasuke, but it does, and I can't help thinking that maybe I should just give Daichi a chance."

Ino smiled, tossing Sakura her kimono. "Well, tonight, I want you to just have fun, and let the night lead wherever the stars have fated for it to lead. Besides, I'm here now, so we can do something about that hair. And maybe put a little make-up on that face…"

"Ino…." Sakura complained as Ino proceeded to completely redo Sakura's hair. Sakura sighed, knowing that this is one fight she wouldn't win against Ino.

* * *

Sakura and Ino stepped into the grand ballroom. Looking around, it was even more amazing than Sakura had ever imagined. Soft glow from paper lanterns gently illuminated the room, and the sweet aroma of roses overtook her senses immediately. It also seemed that nearly all of Konoha was in attendance.

From across the ballroom, Sakura spotted Tenten trying to drag an unenthusiastic-looking Neji onto the dance floor. But with a quick pout and puppy dog eyes, she had Nejo trailing after her like a lost puppy.

Then, Sakura looked and saw Kiba and Shino. Kiba was flirting with a blue-haired girl, and was obviously trying to set up Shino with the brown-haired girl standing next to her. Sakura giggled as Akamaru shoved Shino towards the shy girl.

Over on another side of the room, Chouji was mingling with some of the guests at the food table, and he seemed to be really enjoying himself. Shikamaru was lazily leaning against a wall, but upon seeing Ino, he came to greet the two girls. Upon which he was dragged off to dance by the blond-haired girl, muttering how troublesome it was all the way to the dance floor.

Hinata was talking animatedly with Kourenai, and was probably witing for Naruto to arrive. Sakura was about to go join them when a hand lightly tapped her on the shoulder.

* * *

Sasuke was pacing. He was already dressed for the ball, and Naruto was late to meet him, as usual.

He absolutely wasn't nervous because he was about to take a big step in his life. No, he wasn't at all nervous about seeing Sakura in her new kimono, her hair swaying as she glided across the dance floor…

No, no. He was just anxious. Anxious because Naruto was late. Yes, that was it.

When Naruto finally did arrive, he looked like something horrible had just happened. His eyes were distressed, and his normally bouncy, energetic nature was overpowered by sadness.

Not wanting to admit that he was concerned, but still curious, Sasuke asked carefully, "You're late. What's wrong with you?"

Naruto began to weep dramatically, crying into Sasuke's shoulder. "There…there….there….."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Just say it, dobe."

Naruto sniffed.

.

.

.

.

.

.

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"I just went to the bakery…and…and…………………they said they had never heard of 'Slice of Life Pie!' I even told them it was lemon flavored! Ino lied!"

.

.

.

.

.

.

A second later Naruto was roughly pushed off of Sasuke's wet shoulder, finding himself face planted into the ground.

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**Okay, so that was chapter 5. Chapter 6 will be up soon, but the more reviews, the sooner it'll be up! So review please! I would really like to hear feedback. Peace ;)**


	6. Reflections

**First of all, thank you all for the amazing reviews, and for all of the favorites and alerts. I am so honored - I truly am. I really haven't gotten to write much because of college, and because I have so little time, I don't get to work on chapters as much as I would like to. However, I am trying hard, and overall, I am happy with the way this story is turning out. It's almost over, though. O well. Enjoy reading this chapter! I hope you like it! Remember to review and tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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Slice of Life Chapter 6 - Reflections

Sakura whirled around, secretly hoping to see a certain face standing behind her. She was greeted by a head of dark hair – not Daichi, and a wide, gleaming smile – not Sasuke.

"Lee-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, smiling genuinely as she embraced her friend in a warm hug. Lee smiled, his eyes shining bright, and then cleared his throat.

"Sakura-chan, please do me the honor of partnering with me in a dance of youth!" he said proudly, making Sakura giggle at his eccentric chivalry.

"Of course, Lee-kun, I'd be honored," Sakura laughed, and they set off dancing. Lee was full of energy, which made Sakura laugh and become out of breath at the same time. It was hard to keep up with his fast tempo, not to mention his rather awkward and stiff dancing. Still, Sakura was having a good time, but she secretly hoped that someone would come and save her soon.

A few minutes later, Sakura saw her potential savior walk through the door, followed by a loud-mouthed blonde with a rather large bump on his head. Sakura rolled her eyes, wondering how Naruto had aggravated Sasuke this time to earn such a bruise. As Lee awkwardly twirled Sakura another time, Sakura looked to Sasuke, and their eyes met momentarily. It seemed that Sasuke had been glaring intensely in her direction, and she briefly self conscious that Sasuke was mad at her for something.

But a moment later, Sasuke was right there next to her, wearing an indifferent mask on his face as he caught Sakura's attention. Lee noticed Sasuke's presence, and looking back and forth between Sakura and Sasuke, Lee stopped dancing.

"It would seem," Lee began, "that the beautiful cherry blossom of Konoha is being requested to dance with another man." He turned to Sasuke. "I will now allow you to have your own turn to dance with Sakura-chan. Even though I don't want to admit defeat, Uchiha-san, I must render myself helpless under the circumstances. You have won this round. Please ensure that Sakura-chan has a youthful time."

Lee bowed, and passed off Sakura to Sasuke. He awkwardly caught her, and they fell in sync with the rhythm of the music.

"Thank you, Sasuke, I mean, for giving me a break from Lee-kun. He's sweet, but he can be a bit overbearing at times, if you know what I mean," Sakura chuckled.

"Hn," Sasuke replied, his eyes never making contact with Sakura's. They seemed to dart around the room nervously. Sakura wondered if it was awkward for him to be dancing with her, and if she was making him uncomfortable.

"Um, you don't have to dance with me, if you don't want to…" Sakura offered, giving Sasuke a hesitant smile.

Sasuke suddenly then locked eyes with her own, and in a firm voice, answered, "Sakura, its fine."

Sakura nodded in return, and they continued to sway in time with the music. She felt strangely comfortable dancing in Sasuke's arms. They didn't dance fast, or do any fancy moves like Lee had attempted, but simply glided in time with each other in simplicity. And even though Sakura was still confused as to where her heart was, she couldn't help but feel completely comfortable at this very moment.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was fighting the feeling of being uncomfortable. Not uncomfortable with Sakura – no, it had always been the same with Sakura. Over the years, she had been annoying, and loud, and sometimes bad-tempered, but always comfortable. Because she always there – always smiling, always willing to sacrifice her time and her safety in order to protect others, in order to protect him. Even now, dancing slowly with the pink-haired wonder, Sasuke felt comfortable. Because there was no other feeling he could associate with her. Even when he hated to admit it, being with Sakura was just _right._

The uncomfortable feeling that Sasuke was beginning to feel was not from Sakura, but from the gleaming pair of eyes glaring from across the room. Sasuke could feel the murderous, jealous aura held in the eyes, although there was a smidgen of superior satisfaction contained in them too. As if the eyes would simply let Sasuke indulge in his moment before snatching Sakura away in the blink of an eye.

And that was something that Sasuke had no doubt that Daichi was planning on doing, especially when the arrogant man wielding such hated eyes was sauntering his way over to the dancing couple right at that moment. Sasuke glared back with as much hatred as he could muster.

"Good evening, Sakura," Daichi interrupted, using that dark, smooth voice he always used when around Sakura. Sasuke hated how fake the man could be.

"My, my, aren't you a vision of grace and beauty," Daichi continued, taking Sakura's hand and kissing it as Sasuke and Sakura halted their dance. Then, directing his gaze to Sasuke in a mocking manner, Daichi only offered Sasuke an indifferent greeting.

"Uchiha," Daichi muttered coldly, a feeling that Sauke did not hesitate to reciprocate.

"Towaga," Sasuke responded, not bothering to bow.

Sakura, feeling the slight tension, and not exactly wanting to face the reality of the situation, politely excused herself upon seeing Ino beckon her from across the ballroom.

"Excuse me, but I'll have to leave the two of you for a minute. It seems that Ino needs my help with something," Sakura bowed, and then hurried off after briefly glancing between both men.

Sasuke regretted that Sakura was no longer with him, leaving her vulnerable to other men at the ball, but he had other important matters at hand. Like winning the current glaring contest between himself and the man standing in front of him.

"It would seem," Daichi began, grinning mischievously, "That you and I have entered upon a little competition."

"I don't know what you mean," Sasuke scoffed, never relenting from his glare. Which, surprisingly, wasn't having as much of an effect on Daichi as Sasuke had wished.

Daichi chuckled. "Oh, don't deny the fact that you and I are clearly on a battlefield from this point on…"

"A battlefield?" Sasuke interrupted. "You wouldn't last a moment in a real battle with me."

This caused Daichi to chuckle again. "Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke, you really are too confused by your own emotions to realize the reality of the situation. Of course, I know that on a real battlefield, as a fighter I would hardly compare to you. I'm only a low class ninja," Daichi admitted. "No, the battlefield we're on right now Sasuke is somewhat different. _This_," he emphasized, "is a battle of the heart. The heart of a certain pink-haired girl, to be more precise."

Sasuke literally growled. "Stay away from Sakura."

Daichi only laughed, continuing to mock and rile Sasuke. "Oh, but Sasuke, clearly, you don't understand. You see, I was not intimidated by you in the least. At first, I thought that even that fellow with the caterpillar brows might be more of a competition than you. It's clear that you don't know how to express your feelings or express when you care about someone. Women don't like that. And that is why I did not fear you in this competition. Sakura clearly would choose me over you."

Sasuke growled again, his sharingan threatening to erupt. But Daichi was not done.

"But then I discovered that you did hold competition for me. Because for some odd reason, Sakura still looks at you with something in her eyes – whether out of fondness or pity I haven't figured out yet. But this is one battle I don't intend on losing. And I will have Sakura as mine."

"I'm warning you right now to stay away from her," Sasuke retorted icily. "She deserves someone better than you."

Daichi scoffed. "And who would that be? YOU?" He slowly circled around Sasuke, as a predator might his prey. "Listen, Uchiha, who do you honestly think would win? Sure – you get some points for being her teammate once upon a time, but when have you ever actually shown her you cared? When have you been there for her? I…I can give Sakura anything she wants. I can give her money, power, and fame. I can give her the love she'll never get from you."

That seemed to set Sasuke off, because now his eyes were red, the black spinning inside them, and he prepared to leap at Daichi. He found himself unable to get to the man, however, when two hooded ninja grabbed him from behind. Naruto, seeing the trouble, ran over to Sasuke, prepared to defend his friend, when two more ninja came and held Naruto down. Daichi laughed.

"Honestly, Uchiha, why would she actually care about you? You're a monster compared to me. When she realizes this, Uchiha, she'll hate you. What would she think if she found out you tried to kill me at my very own party?"

Sasuke scowled darkly, but had nothing to say. Naruto, panicking as he realized that Sasuke wasn't going to fight back, began yelling profanities at Daichi. The profanities, however, were unheard as Sasuke and Naruto were kicked out of the ballroom and onto the street.

* * *

When Sakura and Ino came out of the bathroom, the large ballroom was unusually tense. Ino's dress had malfunctioned – the zipper breaking while she had been dancing – and Ino had found it necessary to pull Sakura way from the two gorgeous men to help her repair it. However, the band was silent, the crowd was apprehensive, and Sakura could not help but notice that Sasuke, Daichi, and even Naruto had disappeared from the room.

As if on cue, though, the band suddenly began to play once more, and people began to dance again. Before Sakura and Ino could question Hinata or Tenten about the strange atmosphere, Sakura was swept away into the arms of a blond-haired man with dark brown eyes.

"Daichi-kun," Sakura muttered in surprise, a blush falling over her face. Daichi flashed a brilliant, shining smile in return, and tightened his hold on her petite frame as they glided across the floor. Sakura felt as if she were flying.

"Ah, Sakura, you get more beautiful with each second that passes," he complimented, and Sakura immediately found herself looking into his eyes. There was a mix of emotions flowing behind his brown eyes – maybe satisfaction, an odd feeling of victory, and something else Sakura immediately connected with as lust. She averted his gaze quickly, suddenly embarrassed, and uncomfortable.

Then something else happened. On missions, Sakura was fairly independent. She was strong, with a mind of her own, and was not afraid to give an overly-friendly man a piece of her mind, or in most cases, her fist. But even so, she couldn't help but to feel uncomfortable under the gaze of men. She immediately had always felt more comfortable knowing that Kakashi, or Naruto, or Sasuke were there to protect her.

That's when she realized it. She was uncomfortable. Daichi was making her uncomfortable, and she found herself unconsciously looking for her protectors – her saviors. Kakashi had a mission that night, and even though Naruto was not in the room, Sakura assumed he was in the restroom, or off getting food.

But she found herself looking for Sasukemost of all. Sasuke – who had betrayed her as often as he had saved her. Where was he now? Why was he not in the corner, brooding and glaring at the man that had dared to dance with her? Why was he not intervening, the way he had done earlier when she was dancing with Lee?

"Daichi," Sakura asked suspiciously, knowing that she had last seen Sasuke and Daichi together – a dangerous combination – "Where did Sasuke go?"

"Oh, don't worry about it, Sakura. I believe he left with Uzumaki a few minutes ago. Something came up, and they were _forced_ to leave in a hurry," Daichi smiled sardonically, forcing Sakura to accept this fact.

After all, Sasuke couldn't care about her, right?

* * *

Sasuke was currently glaring at the fountain in the center of Konoha Square, the water rippling in soft waves. The light from the paper lanterns softly reflected Sasuke's dark form in the water below. Sasuke threw a stone into the fountain disgustingly, causing his reflection to distort.

Naruto, however, was pacing back and forth, angry at being thrown out.

"This is worse than the time Ichiraku ran out of ramen, dattebayo!" Naruto complained, crying dramatically. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Shut-up, dobe." And then, stuffing his hands in his pockets, Sasuke began to slowly walk away, leaving his distorted reflection to disappear entirely from the small pool. Naruto blinked.

"Where the hell do you think you're going, Sasuke-teme?" Naruto growled.

Sasuke scoffed. "Home."

Naruto began to walk after his best friend. "What do you mean, you're going home? Sakura's in there! You have to go back for her!"

Sasuke stopped walking, anger rising in his veins. "And how would you suggest we do that, Naruto? We were kicked out. We're not wanted. We'll only cause more problems if we go back."

Naruto laughed ironically. "You've never been one to exactly play by the rules, Sasuke - neither of us have. So what's stopping you now?"

There was no reply from the dark-haired male, causing Naruto to growl loudly.

"Why the hell aren't you going back for Sakura, you idiot?"

Sasuke's fists clenched, remembering the way he had watched from outside the large ballroom as Sakura was swept into Daichi's arms for a dance. She had looked so happy…

"I'm not the idiot, Naruto, you are. Besides, she's better off without me," Sasuke glowered, closing his mind from the thought of the pink-haired girl dancing inside.

Naruto stepped in front of Sasuke, his eyes serious and his voice menacing. "Teme, be honest with yourself, what does Sakura really mean to you?"

Sasuke avoided Naruto's eyes. "I don't know."

Naruto growled, stepping closer to his best friend threateningly. "Teme…"

"It doesn't matter," Sasuke answered, his voice soft and melancholy, his words nearly swallowed up in the shallow breeze.

"Like hell it doesn't!" Naruto answered, grabbing Sasuke by his collar – a memory reminiscent of something that had happened so many years before. "She's always been there for you. Why are you always so protective of her? Why do your eyes follow her every move? Why do you clench your fist every time she mentions another guy? What does she mean to you?"

Sasuke's eyes, which were downcast before, quickly shot in Naruto's direction. His dark eyes were fierce and filled with emotion more than they had been in a long time. In fact, the last time Naruto had seen Sasuke's eyes so full of anything other than coldness was in the Valley of the End so many years ago.

"I love her, damn it!"

Naruto grinned. "Then get your ass in there and tell her how you really feel, Sasuke."

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"And then let's go get some pie."

* * *

**So......what did you think? Sasuke's feelings are finally out in the open! But who will Sakura choose, hmmm? You'll have to find out in the next chapter! Please review!! **

**Peace ;)**


	7. Final Choice

**Okay, this is the final chapter of Slice of Life! I think I'm fairly satisfied with the outcome of this story. I hope everyone else has liked it just as much! I had a lot of fun writing it, even though I should be studying. So, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

Chapter 7 - Final Choice

Sasuke smirked as he caught a glimpse of Naruto's signal from across the rooftop – unfortunately the signal happened to be Naruto performing some kind of dance that really only made him look like a monkey jumping around, but Sasuke smirked nevertheless. It was time to put the plan into action. Naruto's voice came over the communication device around Sasuke's neck.

"Are you ready to move out, Emo Chicken?" Naruto asked, sounding so completely serious that Sasuke did not catch the odd codename right away.

"Ah," Sasuke said, but then his eyes opened in frustration and annoyance upon registering the codename in his mind. "Emo Chicken? What the hell, dobe?"

Naruto laughed. "Heh-heh. It's your codename, Sasuke."

"What?"

Sasuke was sure Naruto was rolling his eyes off in the distance, even though he was the one acting like a complete idiot.

"CODENAME, Teme. It's what we have to call each other during secret missions. My name is Orange Fox. Me and Ino came up with the idea when we were trying to set you and Sakura-chan up by making Sakura-chan like that Daichi guy and thus making you jealous…." Naruto quickly shut his mouth, but Sasuke had caught his mistake.

"So let me get this straight," Sasuke hissed into the communicator, "you and that blonde-haired shopaholic are the cause of all this mess?"

Naruto's sheepish laugh was heard through the communicator. "Heh-heh. That may or may not be an indirect but not definite possibility…."

Sasuke took a deep calming breath. "Okay, dobe, for now, I'm going to let you off the hook. And that's only because I'm looking forward to kicking the ass of another blond-haired man at the moment." Naruto breathed a sigh of relief, until Sasuke continued. "But after this ordeal is all over, you and Ino are dead."

Naruto gulped. "Heh-heh. No need to get angry, Sasuke. After all, you really should be thanking us. It was all so that you could be with Sakura-chan!"

"And you see how well that worked out," Sasuke retorted sarcastically. Naruto, however, only seemed confused.

"What do you mean? I don't get it. We're still outside. It hasn't worked out yet…."

Sasuke rubbed his temples out of impatience. "That's the POINT, dead last. Nevermind…" Sasuke then turned his attention to a window in the rooftop. "Naruto, let's go."

Naruto grinned as he and Sasuke each broke through their respective windows leading down to the upper halls above the ball room.

* * *

Sakura was trying to figure out a way to escape Daichi's gaze when said man spoke up, and told Sakura something she never expected to hear.

"Sakura," Daichi said, clearing his throat dramatically. "I have something that I've been meaning to tell you."

"What would that be, Daichi-kun?" Sakura asked, once again using the honorific. She almost couldn't help it. It was hard to be cold to a man with such shiny hair and warm eyes.

"Sakura-chan….I love you," Daichi said softly, pushing a strand of hair behind Sakura's ear. Time sort of stopped for Sakura. She looked up in astonishment and shock at Daichi, who was much taller than her, though not quite as tall as Sasuke. His eyes seemed sincere, and inviting, almost as if he was praying that Sakura would trust him.

Sakura had to admit. It almost seemed as if all her dreams had come true. Whenever she was a young girl, she had dreamt of marrying a brave prince who would come and rescue her from danger with loving words and romantic promises. And of course, that dream had manifested into the dream of being with Sasuke. How long had she waited to hear those three words? How long had she been waiting to find someone to love that would love her back?

It all seemed to happen in a blur. Sakura didn't hear the music playing in the background, or the laughter of other couples and friends surrounding them. She couldn't feel the beating of her own heart. She barely even registered the fact that Daichi's face was slowly descending closer and closer to her own.

What she did hear was the sound of glass breaking from a hall above, followed by the familiar battle cries of her favorite knuckle-head ninja, and the familiar sound of chirping birds.

* * *

Seconds after breaking through the rooftop windows, Sasuke was met with several of Daichi's hunchmen – a variety of low through mid-class ninja. He was sure that on the opposite hallway, Naruto was facing the same situation.

Quickly dodging and evading oncoming shuriken, Sasuke hastily knocked out the shinobi enforcements, and then proceeded to run down the hallway. The hallways of the upper level formed an odd U shape, and at the curve of the U to the south was a balcony leading out over the grand ballroom. To get there, Sasuke needed to find an open door. Not wanting to waste time with doors, however, Sasuke simply settled on deciding to chidori his own entrance to the balcony.

After the debris had settled for a moment, Sasuke ran with speed over to balcony. He arrived at the overlooking railing nearly at the same time as Naruto, whose eyes were determined and bright. Sasuke's dark eyes scanned over the crowd until he found the owner of the bright pink hair that had recently caused so many problems in his life. His eyes narrowed, however, when he found the pink-haired girl in Daichi's arms.

"Get your hands off of her, Daichi," Sasuke seethed, an aura of menacing chakra seeming to flow around him. He was sure that even in his formal attire, he and Naruto must have seemed quite intimidating. The more experienced ninja in the room were wary of the sudden outburst, and the less experienced seemed downright nervous. But it was to be expected. Two of the strongest ninja were standing above them, looking like they were ready to kill.

Daichi, however, did not seem phased, which, of course, made Sasuke inwardly scoff. The musicians stopped playing and everyone turned their attention to Sauske and Naruto.

"Tsk, tsk, Uchiha. You and Uzumaki should know that breaking and entering is a crime," Daichi answered in a mocking tone. "Perhaps I should notify the hokage of the matter…"

"You bastard," Naruto snarled in anger. "Don't you dare give us any of that crap. You were the one who kicked us out wrongfully, anyway!"

"Hn," Sasuke responded coldly, following Naruto's lead and refusing to back down. "Don't make me say this again. Get. Your. Hands. Off. Of. Sakura."

Sakura's upturned face looked curiously into Sasuke's eyes. "Sasuke, what's going on?"

"Sakura," Sasuke answered. "Get away from him. He doesn't care about you."

"Don't listen to him, Sakura-chan," Daichi covered, trying to lead Sakura away by the hand. "The Uchiha is just jealous of our relationship."

"Nani?" Sakura asked, getting more and more confused by the minute. Her eyes moved from Naruto, to Sasuke, to Daichi, and back to Sasuke again.

"Bastard. Get away from Sakura," Sasuke nearly growled, suddenly appearing a few feet away from Sakura and Daichi.

"Tsk, tsk. Such a bad ninja you are, Uchiha Sasuke," Daichi drawled, obviously trying to make Sasuke angry. "Defecting from Konoha as a young boy, and thinking you can come back and it all be fine. And now you think its okay to crash my celebration."

"Tch," Sasuke simply responded.

Sakura looked with confusion toward Daichi. "Daichi, what are you saying?"

Sasuke addressed Sakura before Daichi could respond, all the while never taking his eyes off of the other male. "Sakura, don't listen to him."

Daichi chuckled. "Oh, don't tell me little Sasuke is jealous," Daichi teased. "You're jealous, aren't you?"

"Shut up," Sasuke growled, his sharingan threatening to emerge.

This only riled Daichi even more. "Oh, but you are. You care about Sakura, don't you, more than you let people believe?"

Sasuke looked shocked for a moment, and did not know what to do. He hated the fact that Daichi had figured it out so easily. Sakura carefully and slowly turned toward Sasuke.

"Sasuke, is this true?" Sakura asked. In response, Sasuke showed the first sign of weakness he had shown in years. He hung his head, ashamed to admit his own feelings. It, of course, didn't help that their were hundreds of other people in the room listening to the conversation eagerly.

Daichi laughed. "It is true, Sakura. Poor, pathetic Sasuke cares about you. But ha, where will that get you? I have everything you could ever want Sakura," Daichi said, taking hold of Sakura's upper arms and turning her to face him.

"I could give you the life you've always dreamed of. What has Sasuke given you? He left you on a bench when you were merely kids. He hated the village. He tried to kill your best friend – his best friend. He became a rogue ninja."

"I can give you power, Sakura. I can give you money. You'll never have to work aother day in your life. You'll never have to worry about another thing. I told you I loved you, Sakura. And I meant it."

"Now, Sakura," Daichi continued, "Choose who it is that you care most about."

***

Maybe it was all too much for Sakura to take in. Sasuke watched as Sakura took in the scene in pure horror. She looked so unsure, so fragile. Sasuke knew that there was no way he could win. He had done nothing but cause Sakura pain all of her life. He had never treated Sakura the way she should have been treated. He would call her annoying. He would turn her down. He would ignore her, and call her weak. For years, she had believed that she was not worth his time.

But it hurt so much worse to watch Sakura slowly take a step towards Daichi, and then another, and another. Sasuke felt his heart shatter into fragments as she walked away from him. Sakura had chosen Daichi over him.

***

Or so he thought. A second later, Sakura pulled back her fist, and a sickening crunch was heard as her face connected with Daichi's once-perfect jaw, and he flew backwards. She hadn't even used chakra, yet Daichi was sliding clear across the room.

"That is for saying all those bad things about Sasuke-kun," Sakura said proudly. "You don't know who Sasuke is the way Naruto and I do. There are times that even I'm unsure of what he's feeling or thinking, but one thing I know for sure is that he is hundreds more the man than you'll ever be."

Daichi gaped in shock as Sakura blatantly turned him down and then turned stubbornly to stand in between Naruto and Sasuke. Clearly satisfied by Daichi's disfigured jaw, she wrapped an arm through each of her teammates outstretched arms, and together they walked out of the ball – walls crumbling in the wake of Sasuke's chidori, numerous henchmen struggling to stand after Naruto's shadow clones disappeared, and an unworthy playboy sitting unhappily on the floor.

The three smirked as they exited the ball, and others of their friends followed suit, taking to partying and dancing in the streets of Konoha. The musicians originally hired for Daichi's ball came out of the now deserted building and began to fill the streets with music. Naruto, with a grin, unhooked his arm from Sakura's left arm and scooped up a blushing Hinata before asking her to dance.

Sakura giggled as she watched her friends enjoying the night air. Sasuke's arm was still linked with hers, and he smirked down at her.

"I can't believe you punched that guy in the jaw," he said, failing to contain his amusement.

Sakura grinned. "Hell yeah! And admit it Sasuke-kun, you were SO worried that I was going to go with Daichi!" Sakura nudged Sasuke playfully, and he scoffed while looking away.

"Tch."

"Oh, stop being such a baby, Sasuke," Sakura assured. "Did you honestly believe I wouldn't choose you?"

"Hn…."

"Sasuke Uchiha. Did you really think that?"

Sasuke couldn't help but smirk at noticing that she still hadn't let go of his arm. "Well, you did seem rather friendly with him…"

Sakura glared and turned away, only to feel Sasuke's hand on her cheek. He carefully turned her face towards him.

"But too bad for him, Sa-ku-ra," Sasuke said teasingly, "because you're MINE."

Sasuke smirked at Sakura's blush, and then he bent down carefully to capture her lips in a kiss. It had been something they had both been waiting for, and somehow, even the stoic Uchiha knew that his heart now belonged to the pink-haired girl fully and unconditionally.

They broke apart after several moments, and Sakura smiled as she hugged Sasuke tightly. He smirked in return.

Unfortunately it didn't last long, because before they knew it Konoha's number one knucklehead ninja was bouncing up and down in front of them.

"Way to go, Teme!" Naruto screamed, attracting all kinds of unwanted attention. "You finally kissed her! Now me and Kakashi-sensei won't have to suffer through the obvious sexual tension between you two on missions and on training days. But you know, now that you two are a couple, please keep the PDA to a minimum. Because as much as Kakashi-sensei would love to watch your heated make-out sessions, trust me, he's been wanting to for years, I just have to tell you that I really don't want to see my two best friends sucking face all day like there wasn't going to be another opportunity…"

"Naruto…" Sakura seethed, obviously prepared to punch Naruto across the jaw as well. Sasuske glared, and Naruto effectively shut up.

"What I MEANT was….um….look, Sakura-chan, don't eat me! I swear I've been good! I'm a good person! All me and Ino wanted to do was to set you and Sasuke up by making him jealous of Daichi!" Naruto tried to cover his own mouth after realizing what he had just said in his outburst, but the damage was already done.

Sasuke smirked. "Oi. That reminds me. This was all Naruto's fault, Sakura. And Ino's."

Naruto and Ino, who had come over to congratulate her best friend, gaped as Sasuke effectively sold them out. Sakura looked like she was an angry volcano about to blow.

"Ino-pig, Naruto-baka…" Sakura seethed, remembering what Shizune taught her about counting back from ten when she was mad. "You two are SO going to pay for this."

Sasuke smirked as Sakura took off after Naruto and Ino. Both seemed to be pleading for their life, afraid of what would happen if Sakura's fist got too close.

"Oh, Forehead, you know it was all for the best!" Ino tried to laugh dismissively, but Sakura did not seem impressed.

"Yeah, Sakura-chan! We did it because we loooooove you!" Naruto called out, also not helping the situation.

"Hey! I have an idea!" Ino exclaimed, trying to avert Sakura's attention. "Let's all go get some pie!"

Naruto grumbled. "Yeah, sure. NOW you all want pie. This was probably all a lie! This all started because Ino had to be rambling about some pie that I didn't get to eat, and how Sakura needed to take a big slice of the 'life pie,' whatever the hell that is. This is all the fault of the pies!"

That comment made Sasuke roll his eyes, and Sakura calmed down enough to giggle.

"Actually, that doesn't sound like a bad idea," Sakura mused, placing a finger on her chin. "But are you saying you don't want the pie, Naruto?" There was a moment of silence.

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"No, no! I definitely want the pie!" Naruto exclaimed, running off in search of the nearest bakery.

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Sakura shook her head as she watched Naruto leave, and Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"You know that crazy person is our best friend, right?" Sasuke asked, motioning to Naruto in the distance. Sakura nodded.

"Mhm, but I still love him," she said, and then smiled, adding, "And I love you, Sasuke-kun."

"Ah, I love you, too," Sasuke responded, wrapping an arm around her as they followed their group of friends.

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Meanwhile, in a bakery shop in Konoha, an obnoxiously loud voice broke the silence of the night air.

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"What do you mean, there isn't any more pie?"

* * *

**THE END.**

**YAY!! It's done. My first short story finished! I hope it lived up to expectations, and I hope you enjoyed reading it! Review and tell me how you liked it, please!**

**Peace ;)**


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